Neck attachment for banjos and the like



Dec. 29 1925. 1,567,358

R. c. DANLY NECK ATTACHMENT FOR BANJOS AND THE LIKE Filed Debi-24, 1924 Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. DANLY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LUDWIG & LUDWIG, INC, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION" OF ILLINOIS.

NECK ATTACHMENT FOR BANJOS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed December 24, 1924. Serial No. 757,813.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. DANLY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Neck Attachments for Banjos and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This inventlon relates to means for securing the neck to the body of a banjo or like musical instrument, and has for its object:

To provide a structural formation and combination of parts whereby a rigid and substantial connection between the neck and body members of a banjo or like musical instrument is attained in a manner capable of ready disengagement when required, and which also provides a range of adjustment necessary to compensate for ordinary shrinkage, etc., of the parts during long continued use, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1, is a detail longitudinal section of a banjo having the preferred form of the invention applied.

Fig. 2, is a detail horizontal section of the same.

Fig. 3, is a detail perspective of the parts of clamping means in a separated condition.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

In the drawing the main body 1 of the banjo is shown as of the concentric ring type, with the banjo neck 2 of the usual type with its base portion 3 shaped to fit and have bearing upon the outer surface of the banjo body 1.

The usual brace bar 4 forms a fixed extension from the base portion 3 of the banjo neck, the connection between the parts being preferably formed by a stem or dowel 4 on the end of the brace bar fitted into a receiving orifice in the base portion 3 aforesaid, as shown. The brace bar 4 extends through aligned orifices formed therefor in the circular wall of the banjo body 1, with the free end of the brace bar having a sliding fit in a socket bushing 5 fixed in one of said orifices.

The material feature of the present invention involves the means for detachably connecting the banjo neck 2 and its brace bar 4 to the banjo body 1 in a rigid and substantial manner, and to such end comprises a formation and arrangement of parts as follows:

A screw threaded shaft or bolt 6 having an operating head 7 at one end is arranged in a vertical orifice formed at the midwidth of the brace bar 4 in adjacent relation to a side of the banjo body 1 with the head of said bolt 7 having bearing against the under side of said bar. The upper and screw threaded portion of the bolt 6 has operative engagement in a screw threaded orifice in a winged head or nut 8, the wings 9 of which are formed with transverse journal orifices for the pivotal attachment of a complementary pair of toggle links 10 having a forma' tion and arrangement as follows:

Each toggle link 10 is preferably of the straight form shown, and having a greater width at its lower or free end than at its upper or attached end, with both of said ends formed with lateral checks or flanges 11 and 12, with the cheeks or flangesll orificed for the passage of a pivot pin 13 by which the link is pivotally connected to the winged nut 8 aforesaid, while the cheeks or flanges 12 have lateral engagement with the sides of the brace bar 4 to hold the parts from lateral displacement after assemblage.

In an assembly of parts, the lower end of one link is positioned to have bearing or abutment in acorner formed by the intersection of the banjo body 1 and brace bar 4, while the lower end of the companion link has hearing or abutment against an abutment plate 14 secured to the upper face of the brace bar 4, as shown.

With the described construction, a rotation of the bolt or shaft 6 in one direction will forcibly move the wing nut 8 towards the brace bar 4, and in such movement of the wing nut the lower ends of the complementary toggle links 10 are forced apart to move the brace bar 4 diametrically within the banjo body 1 and bring the base portion 3 of the banjo neck 2 into close and firm contact with the outer surface of the banjo body 1 to attain the desired substantial conmotion between the neck and body of the in strument. A rotation of the bolt or shaft 6 in an opposite direction to that above set forth will attain a ready disengagement between the parts when required.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a banjo or like musical instrument, the combination of a body member, a neck member for the same formed for contact with the side of the body member and having a fixed brace bar extending across the body member, an operating screw shaftjournalled in said bar, a wing nut having screw thread engagement with said shaft, and a pair of complementary toggle links pivotally connected to the wings of said nut, with the free end of one link having abutment against the body member and the free end of the other link having abutment on the brace bar aforesaid.

2. In a banjo or like musical instrument, the combination of a body member, a neck member for the same formed for contact with the side of the body member and havlng a fixed brace bar extending across the body member, an operating screw shaft journalled in said bar, a wing nut having screw thread engagement with said shaft, and a pair of complementary toggle links pivotally connected to the wings of said nut with the free end of one link having abutment against the body member and the free end of the other link having abutment against an abutment plate on the brace bar aforesaid.

3. In a banjo or like musical instrument, the combination of a body member, a neck member for the same formed for contact with the side of the body member and having a fixed brace bar extending across the body member, a headed operating screw shaft journalled in said bar with its head portion bearing on the underside of the bar, a wing nut having screw thread engagement with said shaft, and a pair of complementary toggle links pivotally connected to the wings of said nut with the free end of one link having abutment against the bodymember and the free end of the other link having abutment on the brace bar aforesaid.

4. In a banjo or the like musical instrument, the combination of a body member, a neck member for the same formed for contact with the side of the body member and havinga fixed brace bar extending across the body member, an operating screw shaft journalled in said bar, a wing nut having screw thread engagement with said shaft,

and a pair of complementary toggle links pivotally connected to the wings of said nut with the free end of one link having abutment against the body member and the free end of the other link having abutment on the brace bar aforesaid, each of said links having lateral flanges at an end for guiding engagement with the brace bar aforesaid.

5. In a banjo or like musical instrument, the combination of a body member, a neck member for the same formed for contact with the side of the body member and having a fixed brace bar extending across the body member, an operating screw shaft journalled in said bar, a wing nut having screw thread engagement with said shaft,

ROBERT C. DANLY. 

